American actor Lenny Venito has been guest-starring on television shows since he began his career. However, he also made a name for himself by portraying characters in movies. He began his ascent to fame during the early 1990s, appearing on The Good Policeman, Money for Nothing, and on an episode of The Cosby Mysteries. In 1996, he obtained a role in Layin’ Low, and followed it up with a performance on My Perfect Journey in 1997. He later played Sal DiMaggio on the TV film Witness to the Mob, and appeared on Rounders, Above Freezing, and Just the Ticket. In 1998, he was cast on several episodes of Living in Captivity as Carmine Santucci.
Lenny Venito made his way through 2001 with the role of Jake Nathan on Law & Order: Criminal Intent. He appeared on the episode “One,” and soon continued his success with a role in Men in Black II. He has also risen to fame for appearing on several episodes of NYPD Blue, where he portrayed the character Julian Pisano. In 2003, he starred as Louis in Gigli, alongside Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. After a role in Hack, Venito was cast on two episodes of Law & Order as Detective Wade. Later on, he was seen on The Practice and on The Jury. In 2004, he voiced Giuseppe in the animated feature film Shark Tale. This was followed by roles in Hate, Duane Hopwood, Blind Justice and The Honeymooners. In 2005, he portrayed a mechanic in the blockbuster War of the Worlds. This enabled him to work with stars Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Miranda Otto and Justin Chatwin, as well as with acclaimed director Steven Spielberg. Venito was next seen on an episode of Ugly Betty, and was heard as the voice of Stan in the animated motion picture The Wild.
Venito has also played James “Murmur” Zancone in the hit HBO series The Sopranos. He later starred on another show for HBO, which is The Flight of the Conchords. Other credits of his include roles in Rescue Me, The Black Donnellys, Queens Supreme, and the ABC comedy series The Knights of Properity. His character was that of Francis "Squatch" Scuacieri, the communicator of the gang of misfits prepping for a major celebrity heist. Venito was next seen on the Jodie Foster-led blockbuster The Brave One, as well as on Law & Order: SVU, and Life on Mars.